Improved lunch-box



4in the, county of Cook, and Stat taten f fi JOHN ERPELDING, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Letters PatentNo. 85,807, dated January l2, 1869'.- i

Luarca-Box.

@he Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making pax-t of the lama;

To all whom it ma/y concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN ERPELDING, of Chicago,

e of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in llolding Lunch-Box;

ption thereof, ompanyin'g drawings, making part of this specification reference marked thereon, like l parts wherever they occur.

- To enable others skilled in the art to construct and use my" invention, I will proceedto describe it.

The nature of my invention consists in constructing a lunch-box, with its sides united by pivoted le'vers or lazy-tongs, and its top, bottom, and end pieces hinged to one of its sides, and with a flask arranged to iit within it, so that the whole may be compactly folded etters indicating like Figure l is a perspective view of my box, extended ready for use, with the top closed;

Figure 2, the same, with the co showing the position of the ask i Figure 3 inside; and

Figure 4, the ask detached.

- The box consists of Atwo pieces, which form its opposite sides, Vconnected at their ends by cross-levers or lazy-tongs, and having the top, bottom', and ends connected in such a manner that they may be formed into a strong rectangular box, or quickly folded up into a. flat form, all as hereinafter more fully explained.

A and B are the two sides of the box, connected by the lazy-tongs a in such a manner that they may be brought close together, or drawn some distance apart, but always lie in parallel planes.

lo the side, B, is hinged the bottom, G, the two ends D, and the lid or top O, all as shown in figs. 1, 2, and 3, in such a manner that they may all be folded down atwise againstsaid side B, the top, O, turnir'g over back on the outside, and the bottom and ends down on the inside.

The side, A, isf/,provided with iiangs g, wards toward B, and one of said flanges ver or.lid opened, nside;

extending iuhas attached to it a. sliding catch or bolt, ll, as shown in iigs. 1 and 2. .Y

and I do hereby declare that' the fol-l. lowing is a full, clear, and exact descri -reference being had to the acc and to the letters of a view of the box folded, with the iask When the box is tobe extended for use, the plates A and B are 'drawn apart, the bottom, G, turned down until it rests upon iiange g, and the ends D turned out against levers a. The box is now ready for use.

The ask E is filled and placed inside, as' also the articles of f'ood,'aud the lid O turned down and fastened by bolt which locks into the eyes j on the edge of said cover.

To the outside of the lid is secured a bail. or handle, v F, by which the box is carried when in-use.

The ilaskE is made fiat, and of the same 'size and shape as one side of the box, place inside shape.

This flask is provided with two openings, thumb-screws, one inthe end and through which the duid is introduced, and one in the side, closed by the screw j, which is to allow ofthe and helptobrace the box and keep it in closed by to heat its contents.

To compress' the box, first turn the li then remove the flask, turn the ends in against the side, B, and the bottom, G, up over them. Then place the ilask on the inside, against the side, A, and press the side, B, and its connections down upon it, and the whole will be small enough toreadily enter the pocket.

The flask is held in place,when the'box is compressed, by the flanges g, between which it lies.

Having thus described my invention, v

What I claim as new, and jdesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The folding lunch-box, consisting of the sides A and B, united by means of the pivoted levers a, and having the top, bottom, and end pieces hinged to one of the sides, as described.

` 2. 'lhe iiask E, provided with the o and arranged to t within-the box, as shown and de-y scribed.

JOHN ERPELDIN G. Witnesses:

A. LIMBERG', WM. H. Lorz.

so as to fit snuglyin closed by the screw c, l

escape of steam, when the fiask is laid flat upon a stove d over back,..

and all arranged to operate substantiallyy penings e and L, 

